How to Prevent Large Pores

Your pores are tiny holes in your face which allow fluid to pass in and out of your face. While some pores are so small you must look closely in a mirror to see them, others are plainly visible to the naked eye as a result of being stretched by any number of factors. Although there is little you can do to affect the actual size of enlarged pores once you have them, you can employ several methods to prevent them from stretching in the first place.

Things You'll Need

• Salicylic acid face wash
• Alpha hydroxy exfoliator

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your face regularly, preferably with a salicylic acid face wash to prevent enlargement. According to dermatologist Leslie Baumann, salicylic acid is the best means of ridding pores of oil, which is one of the leading causes of them stretching. Remove all makeup before you go to bed, as cosmetics -- especially oil-based ones -- will irritate your pores while you sleep.

• 2

  Exfoliate your clean skin to remove dead skin cells and any additional material which might be clogging your pores and cause them to enlarge. Although you can purchase abrasive exfoliants that contain small beads of material to scrub your face, these can lead to unintended irritation, which may increase your problem in the long-term. Using a glycolic or phytic acid exfoliator will chemically exfoliate your skin, gently sloughing off any old skin or debris without irritating otherwise healthy skin or pores.

• 3

  Use skin care products with the ingredient retinol. In her piece for Yahoo! Health, Dr. Baumann goes on to note that it works double duty -- decreasing oil production while stimulating production of proteins like collagen and elastin, which will lengthen your skin cells' lives and decrease the amount of dead skin. It will also lessen the chance that your pores will enlarge in the future.